Plans for winter quarter instruction
Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Dear Bruin Community:
Throughout the first few weeks of fall quarter, UCLA students and instructors have brought their signature creativity and energy to remote classes, and our community has come together for virtual welcome events, student organization and club activities, and unique editions of This is Bruin Life and Volunteer Day. While working, learning, and growing in a remote environment has its challenges, I am grateful for all of the ways in which our community has continued to make the UCLA experience meaningful.
I am writing today to share our plans for winter quarter instruction, which have been informed by requirements from the L.A. County Department of Public Health (PDF) and recommendations from UCLA’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force. In order to protect our community and limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, UCLA will continue the plans we put in place for the fall, offering remote-only instruction with the exception of a limited number of in-person or hybrid courses necessary to train students for essential workforce positions. A list of classes to be offered in winter quarter will be available tomorrow through the Schedule of Classes and MyUCLA.
On-campus student housing also will continue to operate at the same reduced levels, primarily serving those with no alternative housing options. The most current information is available on UCLA Housing’s COVID-19 information page.
I understand that this news will be disheartening to many of you, especially our new Bruins who are eager to experience life in Westwood. It is disappointing to me as well. We were hopeful that we could expand instruction to include more in-person classes next quarter, but given the continued spread of COVID-19, and in line with strict county public health mandates, we must maintain a reduced population and limit person-to-person contact on campus. Please know that we remain committed to ensuring that students can make progress toward their degrees and to providing resources and tools to those who are teaching and learning remotely. We encourage any student who may be facing financial hardship to reach out to our Economic Crisis Response Team for assistance.
For international students, federal immigration authorities have not yet issued guidance on winter quarter visa and entry restrictions, but all international students still will be able to enroll for winter quarter remote instruction. The UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars will reach out to international students to offer further guidance on travel, visas, and enrollment as soon as we receive sufficient information from the federal government on winter visa rules. We strongly encourage our international students to wait for guidance from the Dashew Center before making any plans to travel to the United States.
For students, staff, and faculty who will be on campus this winter quarter, infection control measures and protocols outlined on Bruins Safe Online will remain in place. I would like to acknowledge and thank the students and staff who are serving as Public Health Ambassadors and who have been great advocates for health and safety in our community.
We will keep you updated if future changes to county public health directives allow us greater flexibility in bringing students, staff, and faculty back to campus. You can visit UCLA’s COVID-19 resources site for the latest information on UCLA’s response to the pandemic.
UCLA’s mission of education, research, and service is more critical than ever, and the last few months have shown that we can continue to serve this mission well even in the midst of a global crisis. We must remain optimistic; we will bring more Bruins back to campus as soon as we can. Until then, thank you for your resilience, your adaptability, and all you are doing to keep our great institution moving forward.
Sincerely,
Emily A. Carter
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
